Osteopathy

Manual Osteopathy follows a principles based approach, with the understanding and theory of four main principles. The objective of this treatment is to restore the body's ability to self-heal and self-regulate, through realigning the body and removing pressure or compression on any and all nerves, arteries, veins and lymphatics. Should any of these structures become compromised, all the organs and structures that they supply and drain will also be compromised, causing disease to begin. Manual Osteopathy brings motion back to areas and systems in which it has been lost, and allows the body to function the way it was made to function.

The first main principle to bring the body into health is that the body is a 'dynamic unit of function' and works together for the good of the entire body and person. If one nerve, muscle, gland, one organ or one system is failing, the entire body fails as every piece of the body may have their own function and job to do; they all need each other for good health to be maintained. This also means that a problem with your right ankle might not be actually coming from your ankle, but from your low back or pelvis and affecting how you weight bear on that ankle which then causes the pain.

The second main principle is that the body has the inherent ability to self-heal, protect and regulate. Should we come in to contact with a virus or contaminant, the body has systems that will fight this intruder and protect the entire body from succumbing to it. Should we cut our leg, the body has a system to clot the cut and prevent bleeding out as well as an entire healing process. Should we become over heated our body sweats to cool us down, should we become too cold our muscles "shiver" to warm us up. We have automatic reflexes and systems that secrete fluids that protect us, give us the nutrients we need from our food, regulate our heart rate and blood pressure, and release hormones to maintain our homeostasis. In other words, we were created to have everything we need to survive.

The third principle outlines the structure and function loop of the body, that structure and function are reciprocally interrelated. Our bodies can only function based on its structures and how they are working, and our structures can change based on the function we ask of our bodies. For example, someone who just begins to lift weights may not be able to lift more than 5lbs at first, but as they continue demanding more and more weight on their body more frequently, the muscle cells will multiply and grow and therefore the ability to lift heavier weights will grow.

The fourth principle tells the Osteopathic Manual Practitioner that the above three principles will be consistently in mind and used when assessing and treating a patient. Our objective is to restore the body's inherent ability to self heal and self regulate. If we keep in mind that should we change the structure, the function will in turn change and vice versa, and that one small problem in the body is a problem for the entire body. This means, therefore, that a small problem can become a big problem. It is our job to find the health in the patient, not the disease, and bring the entire body into this health.